Assad lauds Tehran’s ‘resilience’ in nuclear talks

Syrian President Bashar Assad on Wednesday called his Iranian counterpart and congratulated Tehran for its “resilience” in reaching an agreement last weekend with world powers over its unsanctioned nuclear program.

According to Syrian state media, Assad spoke with President Hassan Rouhani over the phone and lauded “the success of the Iranian diplomacy in reaching the agreement,” which was “the result of the resilience of the Iranian people, who held onto their rights, and of the Iranian leadership’s commitment to the principles of Iran’s sovereignty.”

The report said that Rouhani affirmed Tehran’s support for the Assad regime “in its war against terrorism.”

Iranian state-run Press TV confirmed Rouhani’s talk with Assad, quoting him saying that there was “no military solution to the crisis in Syria.”

A weekend agreement between the the P5+1 states and Iran temporarily put the brakes on parts of Iran’s disputed nuclear program and allowed for more intrusive international monitoring of its facilities.

In return, Iran gained partial relief from stiff economic sanctions and a pledge that no new penalties would be imposed during the six months the parties have to iron out a more comprehensive agreement.

According to EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton’s spokesperson, however, the deal has yet to take effect.